Port Orford, Oregon

Port Orford






 

The sleepy, Oregon coastal town of Port Orford can be found about an hour north of the California border.

This funky little place straddles Hwy 101 for eight to ten blocks.

 

The most prominent establishments include an ACE hardware, Ray’s grocery, the Circle K, a modern library, a renovated Laundromat, an old Catholic Church and Driftwood Elementary school. 

 

Other interesting businesses stand along the way that may or may not entice you to visit.

 

 

 

As you pass through town respect the 30 mph signs, unless the school sign is flashing for a 20 mph zone. Then you want to creep pass Driftwood Elementary School. Those who show reckless disregard for the speed limit can expect a ticket from one of the two police cars who appear to be on constant patrol.

 

Looking for your favorite fast food restaurant?  Forget it!

 No such establishment exists in Port Orford.  Ready to eat foods can be purchased at Circle K or Ray’s deli.  Ray’s grocery, although small, carries just about everything you could need.  Its produce, meats and bakery provide fresh, tasty food. Being the only game in town, prices can be a bit higher than inland, but not too bad.  Ray’s also provides interesting people watching. 

 

Five restaurants have managed to stay in business over the years. The newest one called Redfish is an upscale bistro type of establishment…a little too upscale for our tastes. We were surprised it could stay in existence.  One café only opens for breakfast and lunch. We’ve never been by there when it’s open.  We’ve tried two other places but reserve our eating out to Griff’s.  We cook most of our meals when we stay at Humbug State Park.

 

 We did stop by Tasty Kate’s bakery for some of her tasty and pricey treats.  The décor of Kate’s and the buildings next door show why this little town has a funky feel.

Derrille also made a stop at the Myrtlewood store for salt water taffy; Which by the way, wasn’t nearly as good as the taffy he purchased in Old Town Newport at the Kandy Kitchen. Myrtlewood factories and gift shops dot the Oregon coast. This one happens to sell taffy too.

 
 

 

Our favorite restaurant in town, Griff’s, sits atop the cement slab marina at the base of imposing cliffs. Here in Port Orford fishing boats do not bob in slips next to docks.  Here  cranes  lift the boats from the water and place on dollies to be rolled into their parking space. 

The towering boats surround the tiny 6 table restaurant and add an air of authenticity to your outstanding seafood meal. 

 

 

 

 

 

The small cove to the west of the “dock” held visiting whales this season. According to locals the whales frolicked in the cove daily.  

 All we saw was a single Cormorant and lots of seagulls.

 

 We spotted the whales up the beach a ways.  By watching the surf carefully you could spot the spray misting from their blow holes.  Their rounded heads barely broke the surface.   From our vantage point on Highway 101 we saw whales feeding in the water and then spouting. I thought I saw a small whale nestled next to a larger one and wondered if the moms and babies were using this as a resting place during their trek north. 

 Capturing the pod with my little camera and reflexes turned into a nearly futile effort. But if you look carefully I think you will see the shapes hovering just below the surface in the above photo.

 

The Catholic Church offers the congregation a glimpse into the past. The church interior provides about 10 pews of the narrowest seats I’ve ever seen.   They may measure a depth of 10-12 inches from the straight up backs to their front edge.  Hard and very uncomfortable, visions of Puritan meeting houses come to mind. The priest travels a circuit and serves several small coastal towns.  When I could still enter a church without getting a toxic hit off the old wooden structure, I did enjoy listening to the priest here.

The Laundromat provides another great people watching place.  The owners offer the locals and the tourists an excellent clean facility with the new and well maintained machines as well as large tables for folding one’s clothes.  Derrille and I do laundry every 15-19 days. Our rhythmic routine takes almost exactly two hours to complete the task.   In between reading our books and watching our machines, we watch people.  This year’s visit surprised me some.  Five older men came in alone and did 1-2 loads of laundry. Their attitudes ranged from very friendly to cantankerous.  One smelled really bad. One looked ready for the golf course.  A young couple arrived with overstuffed backpacks.  After most of the backpack’s contents were dumped into washers, the young lady removed her short, short dress, and then a tank top to add to the wash. I’ve always wondered what is worn under the short styles of today. She had neon yellow spandex shorts over her thong and another tank top over a sports bra. To complete her outfit we had tall hiking boots and knee-hi woolen socks.  The kid’s license plate showed Pennsylvania as a possible trip origin.   These are not the first people we’ve seen come in with backpacks, sleeping bags and tenting gear who also strip off some of their wardrobe too.

 

 

 

 Our favorite site at Humbug SP is one of the few that accommodates our RV size and allows us to direct the satellite through the saddle of the mountain for TV reception. Loop C circles around an oval of green grass also known as the drain field. 

We look across the field to China Mountain to the front and Bush Creek, the highway and Humbug Mountain to the back. Derrille and I like Humbug best of all our “homes”.   We like it for the calm peaceful feel of the canyon. We like it for its solitude. You get a feeling that Port Orford follows its own time schedule and changes very little.  With nothing to do here but enjoy nature, most people only stay overnight or for a few days….a stopover place in their travels.

 

 

Steller Jays send angry chatter from the trees and swoop down onto the fire rings looking for handouts.  They gathered at campsites foraging for any morsel they could find.

 


 

378 365  366 367 

 

Derrille has several walking paths here. This year he discovered the old highway 101 for his routine morning walk.









The old road now closed to car traffic runs right through the park and over China Mountain.

Walkers get to enjoy a vast view of the ocean from high on the cliffs.  Derrille took a route up and back for a distance of about 5.3miles

 

This part of Highway 101 circumvents the base of Humbug Mountain to the right and Brush Creek to the left.

The creek flows between the highway and the campground for the length of the campground.

Salmon spawn in its waters and birds fill the air with chatter.

 

The beach at Humbug State Park can only be accessed through the park itself.   The path begins two sites away from us. You can see the end of our RV on the left side above. Turning right from the arrow puts you on the path toward the overpass and the beach.

 

The path follows Brush Creek west, under the highway.

The path ripples under the bridge an opens onto a rugged, picturesque example of the Oregon coast.

 

 

 When we first arrived the ocean rolled in and slapped its icy cold waves against my legs.  The waves rolled gently one frothy curl after another. 

 

Brown Pelicans flew low over the waves and then with wings folded in dive.  They hit the water in a distinctive PLOP that could never be described as graceful.

 

The north edge of the beach remains fairly constant. For dog owners the enclosed nature of the beach allows their furry friends to run the beach without escaping.  Beach lovers can find a place there a bit out of the wind for sunning, reading or just watching the magnificent surf.

 

 

 

Humbug Mountain marks the south boundary of this beach. These foothills of the mountain show their windswept vegetation.

 

I love this view of the coast just south of Port Orford. The large mound in the background in Humbug Mountain.

 

 

 Humbug Mountain displays its topology of windswept trees as we gaze upward from our campsite.

 

This year Brush Creeks flows directly west from the highway.

 

Then it turn souths toward the rocks.

 



 

 

It follows the bottom edge of Humbug Mountain.

The water slows and pools before turning into the sea.

 


 

Over the years, storms have changed the course of Brush Creek.  Years ago the creek flowed under the highway and hugged the edge of Humbug Mountain.  Then with each winter storm the creek slower moved northward. One year it didn’t hug the mountain, but flowed in a straight line from the park. Another year it built a sand dune with a vertical drop to the beach about 6 feet high. We had to clamor over some rocks at the edge of the dune to reach the water. 

  
A few years later the sand flattened out again and we sat below a 15 foot tower of rock to watch the waves.  This year with the creek again following the foot of Humbug Mountain, the 15 foot rock exposes only the top 2 feet of its massive self.

 

Storms on the Oregon coast can occur at any time. We generally ride out at least one big one each Fall. The storm this year blustered in September 23^rd. The rain began with a shower. Soon drops were pelting the skylights.  Then the wind picked up and the rain moved horizontally across the field. From midafternoon the winds continued to pick of speed.  It nudged the coach during the evening. About nine o’clock wind gusts were messing up the satellite reception.  Unfortunately, this was the first week of the fall TV season and we were hoping to tape several new shows. The winds begin to howl.  They sounded like the kind of wind that comes with tornados. We stowed the satellite.  We pulled in the driver side slides to protect their canvas toppers. The winds felt like the ocean was pushing them into the canyon at about 70 mph.  Our 33,000 pound rig rocked and rolled. It’s not the worst winds we’ve experienced but close. The storm finally subsided about dawn the next day.  To our surprise the sun came out and warmed the earth giving us summer like temperatures as if the storm never happened.

 

 

During the storm, the ocean dug, pounded and rebuilt the sandbars.  The beach became steeper.  After the storm the storm I stayed closer to shore when I waded into the chilly water.

 

The storm littered the beach with large rounded stones and large clumps of seaweed.

 

 

 

The waves rolled in with more fury, often swelling between 6 and 12 feet high.  The undertow grabbed at my ankles and tried to pull me back as the waves receded.  My feet sank into the collapsing sand. I felt invigorated. I love to wade in the surf. However I have the upmost respect for the ocean's power.

 

Derrille ventured up the roof some place and discovered our regular TV antenna was missing a whole side.  We have no idea how that happened.  Derrille decided to put on a new digital antenna for our trip south when we are out of our DISH area.  He ordered one in Newport.  He showed me what he ordered when we went to Camping World by Jeff’s house.  Then Newport said they were on backorder.  ARGGG!!!  Had they notified us, we could have bought the one in our hands at Camping

World.  Oh well…..  When we got to Humbug, we called Camping World and they delivered the antenna right to Humbug Park Office.   To our amazement the installation only took about 15 minutes as advertised!    We couldn’t try it out here, but it worked great as we traveled south along I-5.

 

 

When we called DISH for this location, we were given the TV stations of Southern Oregon. We received all the latest news about Grants Pass, Roseburg, and the little burgs of northern California.

Most people only have a vague idea of where Port Orford is located.  It tickled my funny bone to see it featured on the weather map.  By the way, Kate McKenna here is the Chief Meteorologist for this TV station.

 

   

 

RVing remains an adventure. Somewhere along the way (Poulsbo, Pacific Beach, Newport) we picked up some little furry hitchhikers. Derrille saw the flash of a mouse tail and then the chewed up paper towel in the dumping bay.  We made several trips to the local impressive ACE Hardware store for mouse catching supplies.  ACE has everything in hardware and home supplies.  We purchased the “hotel” type trap and caught the culprit. Derrille put out some Decon just to be sure. Oh oh…there’s another one, and another one, and another one….   Derrille baited the trap and BAM we had a hotel guest within an hour or two.   $81 dollars in traps and 7 mice later we got rid of our unwanted guests. We do have a couple of extra traps should we need them again. You’d think a cat on board would be a deterrent. Apparently not!

 

On our several trips to and from ACE we observed those hardy souls that trek Highway 101 on foot or usually on bikes.   I always observe with a sense of awe for their fitness and drive. Sometimes you see a group of avid cyclists go in the appropriate gear steadily pedaling up the hills and down. 

 

The coast road with its remote location and severe storms make road maintenance difficult. More power to those who challenge the obstacles Hwy 101 presents.

 

 

 

We observed two couples on bicycles built for two.  I hope couple number two enjoyed this adventure more than their expressions showed.  This is definitely NOT on my bucket list!

Then mom, dad and 2 boys pedaled south toward the park. We don't know if they were on a day trip or a more extended adventure.

 

 

We passed this interesting traveler in Port Orford. 

 I looked at this set of travelers and had to look again. A group of 10 young men chose to skateboard the coast highway.  Not in fancy athletic gear, but skateboard attire, the guys walked up hills or pushed their boards with the street side foot and then skateboarded down the hills. As my mouth hung open I forgot to take their picture.  However, days later as we drove into Brookings, the skateboards glided along the highway.

 
 

Humbug in September appears very different from Humbug in October.  With the unseasonable hot weather, people from the interior chose to visit the coast.  In late October, Derrille and I often have no neighbors except the camp hosts.  This September the park was full many nights. We had an interesting array of people to visit and watch.

 All about the people....

About 99% of people who like to camp and live the RV lifestyle tend to be easy-going nature lovers. But there remains that 1%.  As we pulled up to our site (reserved nine months ago) a small, badly maintained Class C RV sat in our site.  Derrille went up to let them know it was past check out time. A cranky old lady that could double for Tugboat Annie waddled toward us and said in no uncertain terms she was not moving, she had this site, and her name was on the board.  While Derrille went to check with the host, she must have checked her papers and decided to move.  Turns out she was a day off, and had it for the night before.  The hosts had run-ins with her before.

 We then pulled in and noticed that the neighbor had an Easy-Up canopy, a table, some plastic Totes and a coffee pot.   An electric cord ran from the coffee pot to the post.  Below the post sat dishpans and dish washing supplies.  Linda camped here and slept in her car.  Linda reminded me of our neighbor’s daughter Lori.  As a forty or fifty-something mom with two grown daughters, her income came from daddy.  Daddy is supposable a rich landlord in California.  Her skinny body, bleached hair, overdone makeup, and ghostly drawn features gave the appearance of a druggie, which she let me know she wasn’t.   A woman with lots of stories and unrealistic plans, Linda kept us and the hosts entertained.

The cranky old lady (who in truth may be younger than me) reappeared a few days later.  She pulled her rickety rig right into Linda’s site.  Linda was in the process of moving to a different site. Cranky lady exited her rig and stood in the middle of Linda’s things. She placed her fists on her hips, shook her head with a tsk, tsk, tsk and made comments about what a mess this tent camper had left.  She then grabbed the extension cord from the driveway and forcefully yanked it out of the socket five feet away. She then moved Linda’s wash tubs and put them with her other things.  At this point we intervened and reminded her that this site was still occupied and still belonged to Linda. Cranky lady arrived two hours before check-out time.  She grumbled something and retreated to her rig. Then she pulled her rig up to the front edge of the site, blocking Linda from driving into the site to collect the rest of her belongings.  The two women had a show down.  Fireworks flew and Derrille went for the hosts, who contacted the rangers.  Cranky lady caved in, backed up and allowed Linda in. Linda left in an appropriate state of anger while the staff pondered what to do next. The ranger wanted to evict Cranky Lady from the park, but Linda chose not to make a formal complaint. That was more than enough campground excitement for one day.

 Susan and Jay hosted this part of the park this month.  Full time RVers and very nice people!  Susan and sometimes Jay stopped by several times to chat as they made their rounds.  We enjoyed their visits and look forward to seeing them again next fall.

 I met a young family from Switzerland touring the states with their blond, curly haired four year-old. What a cutie!  I also met a dad and daughter from Germany.  Daughter attends the law school at University of Texas (I think).  Dad had come for a visit and they were having a holiday on the Oregon Coast.

Laura and Jon retired police officers from Roseburg and Grants Pass. I think they live in Grants Pass.  I really enjoyed talking with this friendly duo. Very nice people!  Maybe we will see them here next year.

 

 

Oregon rates high on the list of surfing destinations.  Five young men stayed across the field from us for about 5 days.  With their boards mounted to the car top, the five took off each day to surf. Their wet suits were hung to dry when they returned.  They appeared to be having a wonderful time.

These surfers brought 2 cars, 1 motorcycle and about 7-8 surfboards. Then they only stayed a night or two.

 

Other people and their pets came and went keeping our stay even more interesting.

 

 

 

I know many of you have expressed liking the photos I include.  Well, this photo shows just how I capture most of my photos.  Derrille often slows down or once in a while actually stops so I can take a “non-moving” version. He even turns around and takes me back for those “missed” shots. What a guy!

 

Humbug Mountain State Park and remote, rural Port Orford continue to represent our favorite place to hang out.